U.S. government layoffs have begun, Trump’s budget director says

White House budget director Russell Vought said on Friday that the Trump administration has begun laying off federal workers, on the 10th day of the U.S. government shutdown.

“The RIFs have begun,” Vought wrote on social media, referring to so-called reductions in force. He offered no other details.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to fire federal workers since government funding ran out on October 1 and suggested they could fall most heavily on “Democrat agencies.”

1:23 U.S. federal government shutdown enters 9th day

Labor unions representing federal workers have sued to stop him, saying any layoffs during a shutdown would be illegal.

Roughly 300,000 federal civilian workers will leave their jobs this year due to a downsizing campaign initiated by Trump.